


dancing around the red line

by n7punk



Series: Outside of the War - She-ra canon stories [28]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Dom Catra (She-Ra), Established Relationship, Explicit Consent, F/F, Light BDSM, Light Bondage, Light Masochism, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Possessive Behavior, Post-Canon, Praise Kink, Safewords, Smut, Sub Adora (She-Ra), Switching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:54:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26465998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n7punk/pseuds/n7punk
Summary: People have been eyeing them both for the entire ball, and both of them can only take other people making advances on their partner for so long before they slip away together. Catra is determined that Adora will know she ishers. They have to stick around for the big announcement, but once it is done they can finally enjoy each other in the privacy of their room.(Or, Adora - and She-ra - being an absolute mess for Catra)
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Series: Outside of the War - She-ra canon stories [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793227
Comments: 16
Kudos: 271





	dancing around the red line

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been wanting to write this since July I think but it’s finally here.  
> Set exactly a year post-canon.  
> CONTENT WARNING: Clawplay/masochism, carefully done but blood is purposefully drawn with consent. As in all my fics, they have long established safewords (red - stop, pink - slow, blue - go). This fic also deals with jealousy/possessiveness at the beginning, but in a healthy, still-respecting boundaries way.  
> [Catra's suit](https://n7punk.tumblr.com/post/629256012818481152/catras-outfit-from-todays-fic-dancing-around), if you're curious.

Catra has always been the jealous one in their relationship, even from childhood when it was not _actually_ a relationship. Adora always just accepted it as part of her personality. In the Horde you had to closely guard any advantage or resources you could get – that included bonds and friendship. Adora knows _better_ now, of course – she knows why Catra was actually so determined to keep Adora _hers_ – but the fact remains that jealousy was a defence mechanism Catra liberally applied their entire lives.

Adora is not used to being the jealous one in their relationship. Catra was always jealous of any second Adora spent with someone else, but she has made so much progress over the past year that her jealousy is largely a non-issue now. Even in the face of romantic advances towards Adora, she is - usually - collected in the moment. Adora’s jealousy, however, is rearing its ugly head right now.

Adora has always been _protective_ – of damn near everything, but especially of her friends. That is what she always called this feeling, up until the moment Catra kissed her and there was no reason to deny it anymore. It became immediately apparent that Adora has – and had already been _having_ \- jealousy issues that are directly related to Catra. Specifically, Catra getting romantic attention from other women. She was jealous of Scorpia during the war, but after everything that happened, she was no longer jealous of Catra getting attention like that from her friends. Catra getting attention from strangers who had no idea about, nor respect for, their relationship was an entirely different issue.

Like Catra is getting right now. Adora has come a long way in the last year, even on this. She is not _jealous_ , not really, but she is still possessive, and she knows that likely is not going away any time soon. Catra is the same way – Adora is hers, as much as she is Catra’s, and that _really_ works for both of them. They have come far enough to keep their public reactions reasonable, and their private ones _fun_.

Adora is just fighting not to glare across the ballroom as Catra entertains a gaggle of Plumerians that she is distracting so Glimmer can hide for a breather. It won’t last long – the queen can only be missing from her own “First Annual Peace Celebration Ball” for so many minutes, especially with her plans for later in the evening – but Adora still finds herself fighting the urge to _interrupt_. It is a group of four women, and while none of them have actually touched Catra, they are not being subtle about their flirtatious looks and compliments – Adora can tell that even from her spot across the ballroom.

Catra, for her part, is smiling blandly and clearly only jumping into the conversation often enough to keep the women's minds occupied on something other than the queen ditching them before she returns from her breath of air. Catra looks obviously bored, but the dismissive attitude appears to be _doing it_ for the women. Adora can’t blame them, not for the attraction or the way they eye Catra’s chest in her lowcut top, but all she wants to do is cross the room and wrap her arm around Catra’s waist, making it clear who she is with.

The action would be entirely unnecessary. Catra’s top is not _just_ lowcut – it is entirely open up top except for Adora’s pin holding the shirt closed over her chest. She is wearing a longline suit jacket over it, which helps cover her _some_ , but it only serves to highlight the line of her waist. She looks drop-dead gorgeous, but the pin leaves her _clearly_ taken, even if these strangers might not know who she is taken _by_.

That thought is enough to propel her forward. Catra has been getting attention all night – likely because of the stunning suit that nearly had Adora ready to ditch the ball entirely before they left their room – and Adora’s dying jealousy can only take so much. She had to pull them away from the dance floor whenever a partner-switching dance came up because there were a few too many takers. For both of them, really, but she was a little _focused_. Catra has been far too amused by it, especially given how many people Adora has been rebuffing herself, paying them no mind as she focuses in on the ones making eyes at Catra.

Adora smiles, sharp and a little _too much_ , as she approaches the group and wraps an arm around Catra without a word of greeting, placing a hand on her hip and pulling her in against her side. Catra, for her part, does not even falter mid-sentence about how difficult she finds navigating around Plumeria. She sounds vaguely annoyed by it as she leans into Adora’s side just a touch, raising her hand to lightly place it over Adora’s on her hip. She saw Adora coming, of course, and likely had no issue tracking her scent approaching even as she stepped up from behind, so Adora is not _surprised_ that she reacts in no way.

Two of the women flush and quickly look away, clearly embarrassed to have been caught. One of them looks mildly aghast, realizing just _whose_ partner she has been blatantly flirting with. The fourth just _smiles_ , unbothered but unchallenging. Adora tightens her hand on Catra’s hip, narrowing her eyes a little as she waits for Catra to finish her line.

“-so I just don’t go if I can help it, despite its beauty,” Catra finishes. She inclines her head up, giving Adora a knowing smile. “Party that boring without me, princess?” she teases. Adora rolls her eyes, but she is smiling genuinely now.

“They always are,” she returns, smiling down at her girlfriend before she turns back to the rest of the group. “Excuse us, but we haven’t gotten to dance for a while. Have a good night,” she placates, already pulling Catra away before she even finishes her words.

Catra waits until they are out of earshot, descending towards the dance floor, to start snickering. “You okay there, princess?” she asks, tail swaying in her obvious satisfaction. Adora sends a glare at her, unheated, and grumbles just a little as Catra pulls out from her embrace. She offers Adora her arm instead, which Adora takes happily as Catra leads them towards the dance floor.

“Now, I know what you said, but I am fairly confident you don’t want me on the floor right now. At least, not in this way,” Catra tells her, entirely too cocky, as she leads them past the edge of the floor and towards the stairs up to the ballroom’s main level. She throws Adora a smirk with just an edge of fangs to it, her gaze obviously heated, and Adora feels herself blushing as she swallows.

“I- am not defending myself. You would have done the same thing,” Adora decides, giving up on pretense as she lets Catra pull her along to the outer edge of the party. Catra stifles a laugh at that.

“Adora, people have been throwing themselves at you _all night_. She-ra fangirls and hero worshippers wanting to _pay tribute_ to the war’s hero who made this all possible. You have just been too _focused_ to notice,” Catra tells her. Adora knows that, kind of, though she thinks Catra is _exaggerating_ a little. She huffs as she tightens her grip on Catra’s arm. She has almost led them out of the party entirely at this point.

“I don’t care about them and you know that,” Adora rebukes. Catra actually _is_ leading them out of the party now, she realizes, up a set of stairs that is blocked off to the guests who are not castle residents. It is not the way back towards their room, though, so she knows Catra is not ready to just call it a night – the night has barely begun, to be honest, only two hours passed of what is likely to be an all-night affair. Besides, they can’t leave, not with Catra and Glimmer’s whole plan that Adora _knows_ about even if they won’t admit the details to still waiting to be enacted.

She wants to ask where they are going, but Catra sends her a look with an edge of concern. “You know I don’t care either,” she points out. Adora eases the intensity of her grip a little. She _does_ know that. They have had to have this conversation a few times, from both positions. Adora feels no fear that Catra will accept or even enjoy the flirtations. What she enjoys about them is the reaction they get out of Adora – the jealous proof that Adora _wants_ her and wants everyone to know it, too.

“I still want them to know you are mine,” Adora replies, because they have had this conversation enough times to know that is the simplified, final sentiment of it all, and the one they share. They belong with each other, and Adora doesn’t want anyone else to be thinking of Catra like that, even if she feels no fear of it becoming a reality.

Catra does not pause, not really, but a visible change hits her body as she walks, the air thickening with a tension that has Adora’s body temperature rising as Catra leads them into a darkened hallway and then flings open the door to her office. Catra turns to throw her a deadly smile before she is taking ahold of Adora’s wrist and pulling her inside.

Adora has her back against the door as soon as it shuts, Catra crowding in close against her.

“You own me, princess?” she challenges, an edge of _excitement_ in her voice that has heat sparking between Adora’s legs. She _knows_ where this mood goes. When they have to trek back into an entire castle-worth of partygoers there to celebrate their accomplishments is a decidedly _inappropriate_ time, but Adora is in no way going to try to stop Catra, not when she gets like this. Maybe more people _have_ been flirting with Adora than she noticed. Or maybe Catra is just in one of her more dominant moods.

“I don’t own you, Catra. But you are mine,” Adora returns, tilting her head down to meet Catra’s eyes. Catra’s eyes are challenging and hard, and Adora meets them with acceptance and _heat_. She might be a bit overeager, but all she has wanted for the whole night is Catra to herself – for them to just get to enjoy themselves at this party supposedly for them. Catra has had to play Royal Advisor far too often for that to be true in practicality.

Catra smiles, all fangs and teeth, stepping forward to press their bodies close together. Adora swallows at the heat of Catra’s body against her, the soft give of her breasts pressing against her front. “You always think you are such a sweet talker,” she admonishes, a bit condescending but clearly all in play as she raises a hand to idly twirl her fingers through the ends of Adora’s hair, loose around her shoulders.

“But you forget you are _mine_ too, Adora,” Catra adds, her voice soft and sweet. She raises both hands, framing Adora’s face as she heats and flushes. “What if I gave you a reminder? Something to _feel_ whenever someone looks my way, or looks _your_ way, so you can enjoy the party knowing who is going to be taking care of you tonight?” Catra asks, voice a little breathless with anticipation. Her eyes are dancing, a borderline _feral_ smile gracing her face.

Adora swallows hard. She knows she is blushing and blatantly staring, breath coming just a little quick now as her heart begins to pound. She has no idea what Catra has planned. Her usual _marks_ would be far too visible in Adora’s v-neck dress, and Adora is wearing concealer over a fading set of them _anyway_. They are in Catra’s private office, true, and the sounds of the ball are only distant echoes, but a guard patrolling by could overhear them.

She still nods her head mutely. The heat that pools in her at seeing Catra like this, at Catra’s words and promises, at finally having Catra _alone_ , is too much to deny. Catra’s grin only widens as she leans in to kiss Adora, hungry and possessive. Adora meets her eagerly, hands finding Catra’s waist as she presses in closer. Catra’s kiss is near bruising, blatantly hungry and aroused. Adora wonders how long she was waiting for Adora’s self-control to snap and come pull her aside. She wonders how much of this Catra has planned. Not that she _cares_ , not when it results in _this_ – but she vaguely wonders about it before Catra nips and sucks on her lower lip and all thoughts go out the window.

Catra’s hands skim lightly over the curve of her body in the dress, claws carefully retracted and clearly being mindful of keeping Adora presentable. Adora really wishes Catra would just touch her freely, however she wants. Maybe it is the possessive part of her – maybe it is the part of her that sometimes enjoys being _had_ just as much as she usually enjoys _having_ – but she almost wants people to _know_. Know they are each other’s, that any random onlooker could never compare to what they have.

Maybe Adora is obvious in her thoughts. Maybe they just know each other that well. Catra pulls back, nudging under her jaw and pressing light kisses there, conscious of not leaving marks. “As much as I want to ravish you, _no one_ _else_ gets to see you like this but me. Don’t worry, I have plans for after, princess,” Catra promises her, voice low and breathy. Adora tries to bite down the soft whine that rises at that promise – she sees Catra’s ears prick forward and knows she failed. The wicked grin against the side of her neck is another obvious clue. “Stay against the door, Adora. And stay _standing_ ,” Catra instructs, pulling back a little. In the dark of the unlit office, all Adora can make out is the desire dancing in Catra’s eyes and the flash of her smirk.

Adora nods, readjusting to lean properly back against the door, bracing herself a little. Catra takes a full step back, sweeping her gaze over her with blatant hunger before she steps in close again and drops to her knees. Adora feels herself gasp as Catra lifts the long hem of her skirt and slips beneath it. Her face is already flushing, growing red as Catra’s hands find her thighs beneath the dress and she spreads them further apart. Adora readjusts her stance, breath coming quick now in anticipation.

Catra press soft kisses against her thigh as her hands squeeze and roam. Her claws are out now, lightly tracing across her skin as she trails her fingertips up over her hips, all the way to the A-line waist of the dress. Catra nips at her inner thigh at the same time that she begins dragging her claws _down_ in a slow, light, _infuriating_ descent. Adora whines in frustration, shifting her legs a little hoping Catra will _get the hint_. She knows better than to make demands when Catra is like this. She will only draw it out slower, putting Adora through a sweet torture she loves and hates every moment of. She will always give it to her, never denying when Adora actually asks for something she wants, but the process to get there can be near-agony.

Adora _knows_ Catra can smell how turned on she is from this close. She can feel her underwear clinging to her, wound up from the moment Catra started making implications in the ballroom. She knew something was coming, but she was not ready for _this_ , and now it is all she wants. Catra actually chuckles at her frustrated whine, nipping against her other thigh now, but her hands pause at the waistband of Adora’s underwear. For a moment, Adora is afraid she is going to shred it – it would not be the first time – but instead she pulls it down with her thumbs hooked inside while the rest of her claws continue to trace down at a torturous pace.

Catra is not even giving her claws enough pressure to leave track marks on her skin for more than a few seconds, promises about something Adora can feel still clearly on the horizon. She is drawing this out slow as Adora’s underwear finally reaches her ankles and she steps out of it. She doesn’t know what Catra does with it – she doesn’t _care_.

“Catra, please,” she pleads, knowing _demands_ will get her nowhere, but begging very well could. Catra likes it when Adora begs, when she hands all that control over to Catra and lets her do whatever she pleases with it. She likes when Adora asks for what she wants knowing it _could_ be denied – but also that it won’t. Almost always what Catra does with the control she has trusted her with is exactly what Adora wants, but the thrill is still there for them both.

“Hm, I think you can ask nicer. _Dirtier_ ,” Catra purrs, voice sweet and demanding as she presses open-mouth kisses to the inside of Adora’s thigh, her cheek _just_ brushing against where Adora actually wants her as she does so. She trails her claws back up her thighs, pressure enough to _feel_ at least. Adora feels her breath stutter, suppressing a full-body twitch at the dangerous thrill of Catra’s claws against her, Adora blind to what she is doing beneath her skirt except for the feeling, Catra’s breath hot against her as she returns to softly kissing her inner thighs.

“Please touch me. I need to feel you,” Adora tries this time, voice desperate. Her muscles are giving small twitches whenever Catra switches which thigh she is kissing, her breath momentarily ghosting hot against her as she passes where Adora is _twitching_ with anticipation now.

“Ask for what you _want_ , princess,” Catra commands her, voice hard. She pulls back, hands stilling and claws digging in where she grips her thighs, _waiting_. The promise is there – if Adora _says it_ , she will drag down. She will finally lean forward where Adora _needs_ her.

Adora feels herself twitch down on nothing and lets her shame go. “Scratch me while you eat me out. Please, Catra. I need your tongue. I need your claws,” Adora begs, dropping her head back against the door. Catra _growls_ between her legs, rough and possessive, and then her claws are dragging _down_ , sending a shooting trill through Adora that has her openly moaning, sound only growing louder when Catra presses a kiss against her clit and then _sucks_.

She follows the movement up with her tongue, lapping against Adora with the flat of it, rough and almost _too much_ if it weren’t exactly what she needs, worked up like this, the tingling pain of Catra’s claws sweeping across her and leaving raised watermarks. Adora feels the liquid heat and twisting need inside her, feels her thighs and walls clenching as she whines and moans beneath Catra as she works her tongue, purposeful pressure licking against her and not giving her a moment's breath before she is repeating the motion.

She wishes she could _see_ Catra while she does this, but her eyes are screwed shut as the heat and tension builds within her anyway. She moans, rutting her hips forward once and getting a warning growl that vibrates straight through her clit and has her _sobbing_. Still, she dutifully stills her hips, knowing Catra will retract her claws if Adora moves for fear of drawing blood. Even if Adora does not _mind_ , Catra does not usually want to go that far, and while Adora is wearing a white dress is far from the time.

Catra’s licks become longer, traveling _down_ , until Adora can feel her licking into her, and even without stimulation on her clit it is almost enough, just knowing Catra can feel and _taste_ her wet she is and is still drinking her in. Adora’s moans are _all_ approaching sobs now, the high of how illicit this is, the thrill shooting through her at the trails Catra’s claws are leaving, the filthy feeling of Catra’s rough tongue thrusting into her, _all_ of it combining to make her entire body tense and shake. And then Catra pulls _back_.

“I believe I promised you a mark, princess,” she says, voice rough but conversational, like her tongue is not coated in Adora’s slick right now. Adora is passed coherency, whimpering softly, _hopefully_. Catra chuckles as she leans to press a kiss against her inner thigh. “Here okay?” she asks, voice low, before she sweeps her rough tongue against the spot she has just kissed. Adora gasps, nodding eagerly, before remembering Catra can’t see her.

“ _Yes_ , Catra,” she breathes, thighs trembling - in anticipation, in her delayed orgasm when she was so _close_ , in exertion from staying standing through all this despite the fact she can run for _hours_ before tiring. This is a very different kind of workout, one that even after a year her body is not quite used to.

Catra has one hand gripping her other thigh, but Adora feels a single claw prick against the skin Catra had kissed. “It is going to hurt. Is that okay, Adora? Do you want that?” Catra asks her, voice rough with desire. She _knows_ Adora does.

“ _Yes_ ,” Adora sobs, and then Catra is dragging her claw _down_ , leaving a thin red line on her inner thigh that has Adora crying out, breaths turning to soft whines as she twitches down on nothing. It was almost enough, but it _wasn’t_ , and she realizes Catra is _standing_.

Catra’s grin is wicked when she emerges from beneath the hem of Adora’s skirt. Her hair is a _mess_ , mane grown out to her shoulders now completely wild from rubbing against the inside of Adora’s skirt as she worked against her. Even in the low moonlight filtering through the office windows, Adora can see that her lips are gleaming.

“Didn’t come, princess?” Catra teases, stepping forward to pin her bodily against the door. Adora whimpers, thighs clenching, and _oh,_ she can feel the line between her legs. She is going to feel the mark with every step she takes tonight, every time she shifts her legs in the _slightest_ and her thighs rub together. She feels herself getting wetter at the thought, flush making her lightheaded from the intensity.

“ _Catra_ ,” She begs, scolds, pleads, admonishes, _anything_ that will get her back on her knees.

Nothing is going to convince Catra to touch her again until she has decided Adora is ready and she knows it. Catra’s grin is all hunger and desire. “I told you, I have plans for later. Consider this your _warning_. Now let’s get ourselves cleaned up. We have a ball to get back to,” Catra says. Adora _gapes_ at her.

\--

Adora tries to put herself back together, but Catra does not make it easy for her, settling to perch atop a nearby console table and comb through her hair with her claws, watching with blatant hunger while Adora tries to will her flush to recede. Adora briefly tries begging first, but there is a spark of excitement in her eyes that tells Catra to _keep going_ , keep denying. Besides, they both have their safewords memorized back to front, and they both know they can use them for things like this, too – for when one of them takes it too far or _not far enough_.

If Adora really wanted Catra to let her come, she would have called red, or at _least_ pink. Catra purrs softly as she watches Adora take two steps forward from the door, breath stuttering as her thighs rub together. Adora glances back at where she just left and then sends a questioning look to Catra.

“Where’s my underwear?” she asks. Her voice still sounds _wrecked_. Catra feels herself flush, but she just tilts her head back, an open call for Adora to approach. Adora does so without hesitation, only making Catra’s purr rise louder as she settles to stand between Catra’s legs where they are draped over the edge of the table.

“Ask nicely, princess,” Catra orders her, because she _can_ , and Adora _will_ , and she will like it. Adora flushes immediately, all those careful breathing exercises instantly shot.

“Catra,” Adora hisses, sending her a glare that is _thoroughly_ cut by her blush. Catra still hesitates, tail stilling from where it has been flicking in amusement beside her.

“Colour?” she prompts. Adora blinks at her, surprised, and then rolls her eyes as she reaches forward, hands settling on Catra’s waist and pulling her in closer.

“Blue, Catra. But I _do_ need my underwear,” she assures, raising an eyebrow. Catra relaxes in her grip, tail resuming its playful flicks as she reaches inside her suit jacket and produces the garment from her inner pocket. Adora flushes _worse_ at the sight of Catra pulling it out, but she lets Catra go and takes it from her. She sends Catra a useless glare as she pulls the fabric back on beneath her skirt. “You are impossible,” she tells Catra when she has finished fixing her skirt. Her hair is largely fine, but she is still a bit flushed. Catra suspects that flush is not going to recede fully until the line on her inner thigh has healed.

 _There’s an idea_.

“You knew that when you fell in love with me. That’s probably _why_. You can’t resist being challenged,” Catra shoots back, finally slipping off the table. Adora huffs but says nothing. Catra is right and they both know it. She turns back to where Adora is standing in the middle of her office, still _presentable_ but visibly changed from the start of the evening. Hopefully anyone that is observant enough to tell and prude enough to be offended has had enough _drinks_ to not notice now. The party has been underway for a while.

“You ready to go back?” she questions. Adora swallows visibly, but she nods, stepping forward to take Catra’s arm when she offers it to her.

Adora is a _disaster_ for the rest of the evening, but that was very much Catra’s _goal_. So many people had been making eyes at her – something Catra has come a long way on, but can still only take _so much_ of – and trying to pull her aside for a dance or a _friendly chat_. Catra has not been able to be by her side like she would _like_ to be thanks to her idiotic duties and _responsibilities._ Watching the way Adora blatantly missed or disregarded every advance towards her while watching Catra like a hawk had lit something possessive in Catra, the need to _have_ Adora.

Adora takes to sitting at one of the small dining tables up on the balcony level because even the slight shifts of standing in place leave her flushing as she feels the mark on her inner thigh. Watching it, Catra has to suppress a purr, a possessive smirk, the instinct to pull Adora away from the party entirely and be _done_ with all this, give her what she wants finally. Catra floats about the party, playing Royal Advisor, and keeping Adora in the corner of her eye. When a single partner dance comes up in a lull, she approaches Adora’s table with a wicked grin and Adora visibly swallows, even her _ears_ flushing this time.

“Care for a dance, princess?” Catra questions. The flush spills down Adora’s neck now. Adora glares at her, but that spark of excitement is still in her eyes, and she takes Catra’s hand.

“You are going to _kill me_ ,” she hisses in Catra’s ear once they are safe in the anonymity of the dance floor, Catra leading them through the sweeping movements. She can _see_ the thrill that jolts through Adora as the movements of the dance make the mark move and stretch.

“You know I gave up on that a long time ago, Adora,” Catra teases, all amusement and satisfaction as she grins at her girlfriend. Adora huffs, rolling her eyes, but her gaze softens when it lands on Catra after she next spins her.

Catra twists her, pulling Adora’s back towards her own chest, their arms crossed across Adora’s _fantastic_ tits. “Do you like it?” she asks, voice breathy in Adora’s ear. She knows the answer, but she has not verbally checked in since they left the office.

She spins Adora back around, grinning at how far her blush has spilled. Catra may be the only one who knows what it _really_ looks like, but with how deep the v of Adora’s dress is, the whole ball can _tell_ that Adora’s flush is spilling down her chest now. Despite her obvious arousal, Adora’s gaze is soft when it meets hers again.

“Yes, Catra. I would like to _leave_ soon though. Actually get you alone,” she tells her, request a little hopeful and a little hungry. Her eyes have that open, accepting look she had given Catra back in the office, ready for whatever Catra wants, leaving the choice up to her but expressing her _preference_. It is up to Catra if she grants her request.

Catra is glad she is feeling more _dominant_ tonight, because it seems Adora is more than willing to _submit_ right now. Catra grins at her, sending her into another spin before she leads them away from the floor.

“You know we can’t slip away quite yet, but soon, I promise,” she answers. Relief and excitement roll off Adora as she smiles in return, giving Catra a single nod before they part again. Adora leans against a wall and continues to alternate between accepting thanks from guests and rebuffing advances. Catra returns to Glimmer’s side.

“What is the dance you two are doing, right now?” Glimmer questions, side-eying her as Catra sidles up to her left.

“No idea what you’re talking about, Sparkles. While we are here, though, Adora is ready to call it a night. We’ll be leaving after the _announcement_ ,” Catra tells her as she sweeps her hand towards a group of delegates from the Kingdom of Snows and gives the queen a questioning look. Glimmer nods at her suggestion but narrows her eyes at Catra as they make their way towards the group.

“She looks far from _tired_ right now. Just make it back to your room first, at least. I don’t want another _war table_ incident,” Glimmer requests, rolling her eyes. Catra hums her acknowledgement. Glimmer did not need to make her promise that – Catra has no intention of anyone else getting to see what she has planned for tonight.

They entertain the delegates until the clock starts ringing to indicate that another hour of the party has passed. Catra exchanges a look with Glimmer and excuses them both from the conversation.

Glimmer is chewing on her lip as they walk away. “I’m _nervous_ ,” she admits, voice a whisper. Catra gently takes her elbow and starts leading Glimmer up towards the balcony level. From across the ballroom, she makes eye contact with Adora, and Adora jolts up from her spot against the wall. She sends Catra a deadly serious nod, face setting with determination, and then she turns on her heel and abandons the two women she was talking to without a word of explanation.

She is lucky she _looks like that_ or people might call her rude. As it is, it is easy to forget you have been ditched when it gives such a fantastic view of that muscled back.

Catra leads Glimmer out to the private balcony, separate from the party but still visible from it. She didn’t want something public, but she also wanted it to be part of the celebration. This is the compromise she and Catra came up with when they were planning this. Adora’s role is limited to bring Bow here and keeping her mouth shut. Neither Glimmer nor Catra have _told_ Adora what is happening, that is too much of a risk, but doesn’t take an Entrapta-level genius to figure it out.

Catra stays with Glimmer while she waits for Adora and Bow. “It will be fine. He will say yes even if you trip all over yourself. Even literally,” Catra tells her, elbowing her playfully. Glimmer squawks and glares at her, shoving her back, but she is smiling.

“Aw, guys, we can’t have the royal court fighting at a _party_ ,” Bow admonishes, voice playful as he walks out the balcony doors with Adora at his side. Catra exchanges a meaningful, hopefully _encouraging_ look with Glimmer, and then takes her leave with an exaggerated bow. Glimmer rolls her eyes and Catra snickers as she takes Adora’s hand and leads her back into the party.

Adora barely waits until they are out of earshot to turn to Catra with bright eyes and begin questioning. “She’s proposing, right?” Adora asks, breathless with excitement. Catra rolls her eyes, but she knows she is smiling too. Entirely because Adora’s excitement is infectious and not at all because she is happy for her friends.

“Yes, and she has a whole thing planned with giving him one of Angella’s earrings. It is going to take a few minutes, though, _trust me_ ,” Catra tells her, leading her back down from the balcony. She sends Adora a smirk, delighting in the way she instantly flushes and beams back. “Dance with me in the meantime? I already got her blessing to leave after the announcement,” Catra requests. Adora flushes _more_ , nodding eagerly. Adora drops her hand from Catra’s arm though, taking a step back to offer Catra her hand instead.

Catra raises an eyebrow at her and Adora rolls her eyes. “I haven’t gotten to lead tonight, and I imagine that is not going to change _after_ we leave either,” she points out, but she sounds amused when she makes eye contact with Catra again. Catra flushes, but she takes Adora’s hand because she is _right_ , and as much as she prefers to lead while dancing – Adora prefers to lead in bed. They are both changing roles a bit, tonight.

Adora leads them out to the dancefloor.

\--

Adora was never a _bad_ dancer - at least not by the time they finished the dance-training unit back when they were cadets in the Horde, learning to be _light on their feet_ or some bullshit – but she has certainly improved over the last year since she has had a partner she _wanted_ to dance with. Not that they formally dance often, but she and Catra do this sometimes in their room, or in the gym when a spar does not feel right, but they need to move together, and not in bed.

She is able to lead Catra confidently, even if she makes mistakes here and there. Almost all the mistakes are because of the thrill of excitement shooting from her inner thigh straight to her core, but Catra is _well-aware_ of that, and so she does not seem to mind the mistakes themselves. She smirks every time Adora draws in a small, sharp breath as she moves them. They are so _close_ now the excitement is starting to really build in Adora again.

Bow and Glimmer are the only thing keeping her in the party right now. If it weren’t for her two best friends probably in the process of getting engaged _right now_ , she would be dragging Catra back to their bedroom while asking if she wants her on the bed or her knees. She feels like she _needs_ Catra right now, needs that release that Catra has been teasing her with all night. The second song ends, and then the third, and Adora’s short patience is wearing _thin_.

The fourth song comes to an end and she pulls them from the floor, because if she feels the stretch of the red line on her inner thigh one more time she might ask Catra to take her right there in the middle of the party.

“A little overeager there, princess?” Catra asks, but she is grinning and just a bit breathless with her own anticipation. Adora glares at her as she pulls them to lean against the wall beside the stair railing. Glimmer and Bow will likely make their announcement from the top of the stairs. If they wait for the newly-engaged couple here, they can intercept them as the first to congratulate them and then _bolt_.

“ _Yes_ ,” Adora growls, low and unashamed as she wraps an arm tightly around Catra’s waist. Catra flushes, but lets herself be pulled against Adora’s side.

“The mark may have been too much,” Catra concedes, cheeks a little flushed, but she certainly does not sound _sorry_. Adora sends her a glare, because _how dare she_. The mark has been driving Adora crazy all night, but they both know how Adora likes it.

“The mark was not _quite enough_ ,” Adora retaliates, thinking back to the office and how _close_ she had been. Catra flushes, tail lashing just a bit as she looks away. She coughs lightly.

“Noted,” she says, voice a little weak. Adora flexes her arm, tugging Catra in just a little closer until there is no air gap between them.

“Blue, Catra,” she tells her, voice trailing off as she speaks because she just saw movement at the top of the stairs. She turns her head, and sure enough, there are Glimmer and Bow emerging from the balcony. She pinches Catra and her girlfriend startles, turning to follow her gaze as well.

Glimmer is clutching Bow’s arm, both of them clearly just having finished crying. Each of them is wearing a single earring. Adora _knew_ he was going to say yes, but she still feels herself getting teary as the couple reaches the top of the stairs and Glimmer calls for attention.

“I would like to thank you all for coming tonight. So much has changed since the defeat of Horde Prime and the war has ended, but for all us to be able to gather like this and celebrate a year of peace makes all the hard work it took to get here worthwhile,” Glimmer greets, smile joyful beyond her words. She pauses for a round of applause and cheering before turning to look at Bow with shining eyes.

“I must thank everyone who made tonight possible, but I especially must thank my wonderful partner Bow for always being there to support me through all this, and for agreeing to be my wonderful _fiancé_. Etheria, I would like to formally introduce you to the only man I could imagine ruling by my side,” Glimmer says, tears of happiness starting to well in her eyes as identical ones rise in Bow.

They are not capable of speaking again without crying, but they don’t need to. The ballroom erupts in cheers, Catra and Adora both joining in loudly. Bow is well-loved after his broadcast in the final battle with Prime made him recognizable all across Etheria. He will be a fantastic king and the world knows it.

Glimmer laughs with her joy, throwing her arms around Bow and pulling him down into a sweet kiss in front of the entire ballroom. The cheers only grow louder. Eventually, they die down and Glimmer and Bow part, both still caught between laughing and crying. As they begin to finally descend the stairs, Adora feels Catra stretch up to her ear.

“Time to congratulate the royal couple. Then what do you say to finally getting out of here, princess?” Catra purrs, voice just a bit rough from her own emotions. Catra will deny it until her dying day, but she is a secret softie, and this kind of stuff always makes her emotional. She outright cried when Scorpia confessed her plans to propose to Perfuma soon after the last Alliance meeting.

“Happily,” Adora replies, relief in her voice evident. Catra laughs beside her, pulling her forward to greet Glimmer and Bow.

\--

They only stay a few minutes more. Everyone is eager to talk to the newly-engaged couple, so they get a few moments with their friends before they step aside to let Etheria through. It is almost the perfect cover for the Royal Advisor and She-ra to slip away to the residential wing of the castle together.

Catra can feel Adora’s excitement building as they make their way through the halls, hand in hand and not _quite_ running. Catra is pretty sure they are always going to be like this, so eager and in awe that they get to be with each other. Every morning they wake up together may not feel like a revelation anymore, but it still feels wonderful and _right_. It still feels like the only thing she could ever dream of.

They barely make it through the door before Adora is turning and pressing her against it, kissing her desperately as her hands run over her body greedily. “You have been driving me _insane_ all night,” she pants between kisses, like Catra has not been _well aware_. Every one of Adora’s reactions has spoken volumes, even without words. She still purrs with satisfaction to hear Adora _say_ it.

“Let’s get you naked, princess,” is Catra reply to that. Adora shudders against her, pulling back to survey her. Catra takes it as an invitation to look _back_. Adora is flushed again, and even with the skirt hiding it, Catra can _tell_ she is squeezing her thighs together. Catra smirks at her, sweeping her gaze slowly over the wreck she has made of her girlfriend.

It is another one of those moments that just feels _right_. She has seen Adora a thousand different ways, in a hundred different scenarios, but flushed with desire is by far her _favourite_.

Catra pushes off the door, sauntering up to Adora and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend to sweep her hands down Adora’s muscled shoulders until her hands find the low dip of the back of the dress. She toys with the fastening there as she feels Adora’s breath quicken.

“You think it has been easy, seeing you _wound up_ like this and holding back? I’m ready to _have_ you, Adora,” Catra purrs into her ear as her fingers finally work the dress open. Adora shudders against her, breath catching, as the last fastening is finally undone and Catra pushes the dress from her shoulders. She squeezes along the toned muscles there as the dress falls to pool around Adora’s ankles on the floor. The dress had a supportive bodice, leaving no need for a bra and Adora entirely naked in its wake aside from her underwear.

Catra slides her claws out, hands trailing down. “I wanted to do this earlier,” she says, conversationally, as she tucks her fingertips inside the waistband and carefully slices down and away from Adora. The underwear falls in tatters to the floor, leaving just the two of them. Catra is still fully dressed in her suit.

“I know,” Adora breathes, her hands coming up to bury in Catra’s hair so she can pull her into another bruising kiss. Adora is entirely naked, flushed and desperate, but she is still clinging to some fragment of control. Catra kind of _likes_ that – likes that Adora makes her work for it.

She kisses her back, just as hungry, hands finding Adora’s hips. “On the bed, princess,” Catra orders when they pull apart. Adora’s eyes flash dark and her grip in Catra’s hair tightens for just a moment as she considers the order. Catra would accept it if she fought it – she would be _proud_ of her for just taking what she wants instead.

But what Adora ultimately wants is to _be good_ , so she pulls back, hands falling away and sending Catra a heated look as she approaches the bed. Catra follows her like a predator stalking prey, pulling her suit jacket from her shoulders as she does so. She tosses it aside carefully so it lays out rather than bunching in a pile, but that is as far as her consideration for her clothes goes once Adora is settled on the edge of the bed, legs closed but thrown over the side in an invitation as she sends Catra another heated look.

Her breath is coming quick, causing her chest to bounce just a little and doing nothing to help the blush spilling down her neck and shoulders, just gracing the tops of her breasts. Catra can see her gripping the sheets tightly where she is bracing herself, anticipation making the muscles in her arms stand out. Catra licks her lips, approaching her girlfriend as Adora blatantly watches back.

Her gaze unashamedly lands on Catra’s chest, barely covered and decency only provided by Adora’s pin. Her own mark that she gave to Catra months ago, eyes soft and hopeful as she held it out to her. Now her gaze is hungry and possessive. Catra _had_ been planning to be naked herself, but maybe dressed works better for this considering what she is wearing.

Catra saunters up to the bed, cocky despite her own anticipation, hands landing on Adora’s thighs as she comes to stand before her. “Spread your legs,” she requests, voice sweet and low. She could open them, but she would rather watch Adora do it _for_ her. Adora shudders, following orders _immediately._ Catra can see the slick already working its way down her inner thighs, the thin line standing bold, the way her damp curls cling to her after the mess that Catra has made of her.

She licks her lips. “Good girl. You are always so _good_ for me, Adora,” Catra praises, drinking in the soft gasp Adora releases, the way her body strains forward just a little seeking _more_. Catra is more than willing to give it to her.

“I have plans for you. But if you are going to behave, I think _this_ ,” Catra drops her hand to Adora’s inner thigh, fingers lightly stroking over the dark line as Adora’s breath catches, a moan suppressed in her throat, “is going to be too distracting for you. Why don’t you heal it?” she requests, satisfied purr slowly leaking out of her voice as she can no longer control her blatant excitement.

Adora’s eyes widen, implication obvious and causing her to lick her lips. “You want She-ra?” she asks, voice breathy. Catra cannot contain her possessive growl.

“I want to _have_ She-ra,” Catra clarifies. Adora gasps, a small whine contained within it as her body strains forward towards Catra, ready and _willing_.

Catra has had sex with Adora when she is She-ra a number of times. Regularly in fact, ever since the first time where she let her control go and just trusted Adora to take care of her, to love her and not let her go. Catra has gotten Adora off maybe half of those times. The others they waited until Adora was herself again and Catra had recovered – or Adora got off without Catra ever having to touch her. Despite how long they have been doing this, how many times Adora has touched her with that spark of magic between them, Catra has never been the one in complete control of She-ra before.

It is harder for Adora to get off from _touch_ as She-ra. She is less sensitive, a great trait in battle, but less so in bed. Catra has still managed it before, and she wants to do it _tonight_. “Is that okay?” she asks, her voice low as she leans in closer to nip lightly at the spot beneath Adora’s ear on her jaw that drives her wild. Adora’s reactions are telling her _yes_ , but they have had a lot of conversations about sex, and the main takeaway for Adora at first was that it took awhile for her to give in to just letting herself be the focus. Adora will always get off on making Catra feel good, neither of them are trying to _change_ that, but Catra wants her to just enjoy herself freely as well. Adora is able to do that now, _happy_ to do that now – but she has yet to do it as She-ra.

Adora’s breath stutters. “I’m not sure if I can get off like that without touching you first,” Adora admits, but she still sounds _excited_ , even if she is anxious. Catra purrs against her jaw, biting harsher this time in reward for Adora’s honesty. Adora's breath stutters.

“Trust me, Adora, you will _have_ me, but what is going to make me happy right now is you beneath me, _begging_ ,” Catra promises her, pulling back to make eye contact again. Adora gets off on making Catra feel good – and the thought of having her like this is what has Catra’s thighs clenching right now. She knows her eyes are bright, flashing, her voice dripping with intent, but she doesn’t care, not when it makes Adora swallow thickly like that. Her hesitation is gone. She nods, eyes already beginning to flash. Catra suspects she has been holding She-ra down from the moment Catra mentioned her.

“And Adora? I want the _lasso_ ,” Catra tells her. A flash of golden light greets her words. Catra closes her eyes, purring to herself at the reaction as the light fades. When she opens her eyes again, She-ra is sitting before her, the sword transformed into a golden rope in her hands. They have done this enough times that Adora can transform fully naked and not even be embarrassed by it. She _is_ flustered, but Catra knows that has to do with the rope in her hands.

Catra grins up – _up_ , now – at her girlfriend and stretches up on her toes to kiss her, slow and languid. She usually prefers to kiss Adora slow and open-mouthed when she is She-ra, the magic sparking between them intensifying the experience. Without breaking the kiss, Catra takes the rope from Adora’s hands and pulls her arms behind her.

She pulls back just enough to make eye contact again. “I want your arms tied behind your back, and then I want you to lay back on the bed for me. Would you enjoy that?” Catra asks, watching the way Adora’s eyes blow out at her words alone. Adora has a _thing_ for when Catra ties her up, for restriction and giving herself over to Catra’s control. Another part of the _making Catra feel good_ thing, but also just an _Adora_ thing.

Adora groans at her words, straining forward again even as she dutifully presses her wrists together behind her back. “ _Yes_ , Catra,” Adora agrees, voice rough with desire. Catra grins at her reaction, slipping up behind her on the bed so she can see what she is doing as she begins to work the rope around Adora’s forearms. She ties her from her wrists to elbows, careful patterns of knots forming beneath her fingers as she sweeps her tail forward, curling it around Adora’s front and playfully flicking it back and forth over her torso. Adora’s breath comes quicker, a thin whine contained within it as she flexes her arms beneath the restriction.

Catra slips off the bed, coming to stand between her girlfriend’s legs again. Adora spreads them _wider_ , looking down at Catra with blatant desperation. “You know what I want you to do,” Catra reminds. Adora draws in a breath, flush high on her cheeks as she carefully lays back without her hands free to catch her. She doesn't need them - she has plenty of core strength. Catra purrs in satisfaction. “Good girl, Adora. You follow orders so well. I think it is time for your reward, don’t you?” Catra tells her, hands roaming over planes of hard muscle. She is rough with her touch, claws out and pressure firm so Adora can _feel_ it.

Adora gasps beneath her. “Please, Catra, I’ve been good,” she begs, voice desperate as she shifts beneath Catra, arching up into her touch and straining her thighs apart as if Catra does not know where she wants her.

“You have been so good for me, Adora. I’ll take care of you, I promise,” she assures her. Adora releases a soft breath of relief as some of the tension leaks out of her, settling back into the sheets.

Catra’s own heat is nearly overwhelming in the suit. She has been wet as long as Adora has, eager and ready to have Adora beneath her like this. The need is starting to _hurt_. “Stay there. I’ll be back in a moment,” Catra promises her, taking a step back, out from between her legs. Adora whines, lifting her head to look at Catra with pleading eyes, but she doesn’t make a move to leave her spot.

Catra rolls her eyes, playful as she reaches for the pin clasping her shirt closed. Adora draws in a sharp breath as she watches Catra slowly undress, undoing her buttons and fly and tossing her clothing aside. Carefully, she sets the pin on their bedside table, care taken with it that she shows for none of her other clothing as she strips down. She hesitates before returning to Adora, grabbing a pillow from the head of the bed and bringing it back with her.

She has to crawl over Adora to place the pillow behind her head, making it easier for her to _watch_. Adora’s eyes roam over her as she briefly suspends herself above her. Catra can see her arms straining against the rope as she fails to fight the instinct to _touch_. The practiced knots hold, but Catra is glad she asked her for the lasso rather than trusting their usual ropes to this.

Catra slips back off the bed to stand between Adora’s legs, grinning at the whine Adora releases at the loss of her. Catra raises her hands, claws out as they land on Adora’s thighs. “What do you say to finishing what we started earlier?” she asks, voice breathless. She can smell Adora’s arousal, scent thick enough she can practically taste her on her tongue already.

“ _Please_ ,” Adora answers, voice wrecked as she watches Catra with bright, pleading eyes. Catra grins up at her girlfriend as she leans in, but doesn’t meet her, not _yet_.

“I’m not going to let you come until you beg for it,” Catra informs her, burying her head between Adora’s legs as she keens in response. Catra shudders instantly, so _surrounded_ by Adora with her thighs on either side of her, She-ra’s muscles flexing and twitching in a way that should indicate _danger_ but just builds her excitement. All Catra can smell is Adora’s scent, her taste coating her tongue as she licks along the length of her and groans her satisfaction. The groan sends vibrations right through Adora’s clit, but she just gives a soft breath rather than her usual gasp.

She-ra really is less sensitive. Catra always has to be careful, with her claws and textured tongue, but not tonight, not with Adora like this. Catra can let go just as much as Adora is. She won’t really hurt her, but if she does-

“Please, Catra, your claws. You won’t hurt me. And if you do – I’ll like it,” Adora begs. Catra feels her ears twitch in amusement at them both having the exact same thought. She flexes her claws, dragging them down harshly against Adora, not trying to _hurt_ her, but not holding _back_ either. Adora cries out, muscles jolting as she twitches beneath Catra’s tongue. “Fuck, Catra- _harder_. I’ll heal it. Please. I want this. I want you to have me,” Adora pleads.

Catra growls, low and possessive, as her own thighs clench. She can feel her own slick making its way down to her thighs, but she doesn’t care, not when Adora is talking like _that_. She drags her claws, rough and almost uncaring, not when it results in Adora crying out and moaning like this. She works her tongue, hard and rough against Adora’s clit, paying no mind to the harshness of its texture. Adora keens and moans beneath her, flexing her hips up seeking _more_.

Catra sucks against her on her next pass, claws continuing their path down She-ra’s thighs. She doesn’t stop, licking, sucking, _working_ Adora hard with far too much for any human to _enjoy_. Her claws leave raised lines across Adora’s abs when she stretches her hands up and pulls down the length of her, Adora sobbing and _begging_.

“Yes, Catra, it’s so good, you’re so good,” Adora babbles, arching up into Catra’s touch. Catra normally insists she hold still when she has her claws out, but not tonight. This is what Adora asked for, what Adora _needs_ to get off like this, and she will be fine when she reverts. She is _more_ than fine right now.

“Please, more, I want to come, I want to get to touch you,” Adora begs, voice wrecked with sobs now as Catra sucks harshly against her. Catra knows from experience that fucking She-ra doesn’t do much for her – she knows what the _more_ Adora wants is.

She rakes her claws down her sides at the same time as she lashes her tongue against Adora, licking the length of it against her clit in a long drag. Adora _screams_ , body jolting forward as she tenses and twitches down beneath Catra’s mouth.

Catra doesn’t stop working her with her mouth even as Adora releases weak moans with every breath, but she does withdraw her hands, placing them lightly on Adora’s inner thighs as she holds them apart and continues to lick against her, tongue gentle now, until Adora’s next moan is just a little harsh and pained. Catra finally withdraws, placing a light kiss against her before she leans back and surveys her girlfriend.

Adora is flushed and sweating, even as She-ra, eyes closed and panting as she lays collapsed into the sheets. Lines decorate her skin, a crisscross of claw trails across her thighs and stomach. Blood beads in a few spots along the lines occasionally, but for the most part Catra did not break skin until that final pull, harsh lines against Adora’s side.

The sight still leaves her conflicted. She knows Adora loves it, and she is not made uncomfortable by it anymore, but she would never go this far when Adora was not She-ra and the lines would not vanish immediately after. Raised lines and lingering marks they both enjoy – the line of a scab is too much once the moment passes.

There won’t be any marks once the moment passes, however, so Catra lets herself drink in the sight of Adora totally wrecked, totally _hers_ , and basking in it as she lets Catra just _have_ her. Catra’s building need feels like it is burning her for the inside out, now, as she carefully crawls over Adora, draping across her chest and purring to her as she waits her for to come back to herself and catch her breath.

“You are so good for me, Adora. You’re so pretty when you’re begging for me,” Catra purrs to her, nipping at the side of her neck. Adora whines at the words, shifting beneath her, and Catra realizes she is trying to reach for her. Her breath catches when the rope restricts her and she whines _again_. Catra licks her lips, pulling back to look down at her girlfriend. Adora’s eyes are open now, gaze distant and half-lidded, but her eyes are on Catra.

“Get rid of the rope, Adora,” Catra orders.

“ _Yes_ ,” Adora breathes, a light flash muted by the sheets beneath her as she dismisses the sword. Her arms come forward immediately to wrap around Catra and pull her back down into a rough, desperate kiss. Catra squeaks in surprise, but she really should have anticipated this. Usually she makes sure to gently massage Adora’s arms after tying her, working soreness and stiffness out of her, but she is _She-ra_ right now, and she seems to be unaffected by the time spent restricted.

Adora licks into her mouth, rough and claiming as Catra whines softly against her. Adora’s tongue is bigger like this, almost electric to taste, and it makes Catra’s fur stand on end. When they part, she is panting.

“On the bed properly now,” she decides. Adora’s eyes flash and she is nodding, grabbing Catra and pulling her up to the head of the bed without hesitation. She starts to lay Catra down, but Catra stops her with a harsh grip on her arm, narrowing her eyes up at her girlfriend. “I didn’t say you could be on top,” she scolds, but a purr rumbles in the back of her words as Adora’s eyes widen.

Adora flushes, leaning down to retrieve the pillow and return it to the head of the bed, and then she lays back and looks at Catra questioningly. Catra climbs on top of her happily, placing a knee between Adora’s so she can straddle one her thighs. They are wide and _firm_ as She-ra, muscles even harsher than Adora’s own, which have already gotten Catra off _plenty_.

Adora draws in a breath, watching her with wide eyes as she realizes what she is doing. Slowly, Catra begins to rub herself up and down the firm surface of Adora’s thigh, talking as she does so. “I think I want to enjoy myself, a little, and when you can’t keep your hands to yourself anymore, _then_ you can do what you like,” Catra tells her. Adora moans softly, her fingers twitching harshly in the sheets as she watches Catra with blatant hunger. “But if you break too soon, princess, then I’m just going to take care of it _myself_ and you won’t get to touch me,” Catra adds, narrowing her eyes.

Adora’s eyes go wide, pleading and _excited_ as her hands flex in the sheets. Catra sends her a wicked grin and then sets to _work_ , grinding herself against Adora’s thigh with complete abandon. She hears her own moans and pants begin to fill the room as the pressure sends sparks of pleasure through her but does _nothing_ to relieve the tension only building in her core. She _really_ hopes Adora decides to fuck her, but after how good she has been for her, Catra won’t make demands. However Adora wants to her have, she can _have_ her.

Truthfully, Catra is desperate for Adora to break, to finally touch her, but part of the game is not _saying_ that. She thinks it is obvious, anyway, with the way her desperate moans fill the room as she fucks herself down on Adora’s thigh, angling herself to grind her clit against the taut muscle.

She is panting Adora’s name with every breath she realizes, and Adora still isn’t _touching_ her. She looks up, making eye contact with Adora, and is not even ashamed of the pleading look she sends her. Adora’s gaze is heated and dark, her hands flexing harshly, but she makes no move to touch Catra. There is a spark there that Catra recognizes, possessive and dominant, and Catra realizes she is no longer the one in control anymore.

She should have realized that as soon as she began fucking herself on Adora thigh, really. She still keens, eyes screwing shut as they water from the intensity of the _ownership_ in Adora’s eyes as Catra works herself against her.

“Adora, _please_ ,” she begs, finally. Adora _snaps_. Hands grip harshly at her hips, pulling her down, spinning her around until she is pressed back into the sheets, She-ra between her legs and pinning her. Catra mewls, lost and desperate for that friction to return. She doesn’t care what Adora does, not as long as she touches her.

“Adora,” she moans again, arching her hips and _hoping_. Adora shudders above her and then one of the hands is leaving her hips, sliding down her body in a trail of heat before she reaches between her legs. Catra gasps, rolling her hips down as Adora strokes along her entrance. Catra is soaked, open and twitching for her.

Adora presses in, slow and careful with one finger. It is nearly nothing to Catra, not worked up so long, and Adora can clearly feel it from how she pulls out and adds another, stroking slow just the same. _Finally_ , the stretch fills her as Catra moans and works her hips down.

“ _Yes_ , Adora, you feel so good,” she gasps out as Adora starts to properly thrust into her. Adora shudders against her, sitting back on her knees so her other hand can travel down Catra body and finally _touch_ her. Catra cries out as Adora works her clit with one hand and thrusts into her steadily with the other.

“ _Fuck_ , just like that, you always fuck me so good,” Catra begs, promises, _babbles_ , grinding down into the touch as she feels the tension coil painfully, heat building towards that edge they have been dancing around all night. Adora’s thrusts speed in response, and Catra realizes there are tears in her eyes, but she doesn’t _care_ , not when it feels so good. “Adora,” she breathes, the only warning she can give before her core is tightening and her voice is overtaken with moans and pants, body working desperately to fuck herself down on Adora’s fingers and take it _all_ as her orgasm rolls over her.

Adora works her through it, slowing gradually until Catra’s walls are only giving occasional twitches from aftershocks. Catra releases a shaking sigh as her muscles untense, relaxing back into the sheets and feeling the endorphins rush through her. There is a flash of light, but her eyes are still closed, tears gathered at the corners, so she just lays back as she waits for Adora to join her as herself again.

Catra is purring with contentment as Adora crawls up the bed beside her, pulling her into her arms and kissing her sweetly. Catra leans into it readily, sighing softly into the kiss. When they pull apart, Catra blinks her eyes open slowly and takes in her girlfriend. Adora is still a bit flushed, body coming down from the high, muscles relaxed and expression open as she cradles Catra close. Catra continues to purr as she nuzzles into her neck.

“I love you,” she tells her, softly, pressing a kiss under her jaw. When she pulls back to see her reaction, Adora is smiling at her softly.

“I love you too. I loved _that_ ,” she promises her, reaching a hand out to card through Catra’s hair in a vain attempt to return it to some semblance of order. She won't manage it. That is a task that will have to wait until morning.

“You’re all healed? Everything was okay?” Catra asks, because she has to, even knowing the answer. Adora nods, smile still soft.

“Everything was _fantastic_ , and you know that,” she responds, but she doesn’t needle her further. Adora is the same way after they do anything intense like this. Adora leans forward and Catra accepts the gentle kiss happily, sighing in contentment against her lips as she lets herself relax against Adora, satisfied that nothing was _too much_.

They end up snuggled against each other, curling in close with Adora humming softly as Catra purrs, occasionally murmuring assurances to each other. They are both tired, but their bodies need to come down from all the prolonged tension.

“How mushy do you think the royal couple is going to be in the morning?” Catra asks around a yawn as she nuzzles into Adora’s shoulder. Her hair has gotten longer, getting in the _way_ , but Catra is more than used to dealing with her own mane, and she likes the way Adora often wears it down now. Granted, she is wearing it down _tonight_ because the last time she trimmed her undercut she let Catra talk her into choosing the word _pussy_ as the secret First Ones word she shaved into the design, but Catra stands by it being hilarious. Besides, she may have been paranoid about a guest somehow _knowing_ , but Adora is the only one who can actually read it. She usually does something sappy like _heart_ or _promise_ or _hope_ , or sometimes going with _grayskull_ , but she is more than open to joke suggestions as well.

“I think Bow and Glimmer will be incapable of breathing without holding each other’s hands for at least two days,” Adora muses. Catra chuckles to herself, but she is pretty sure Adora is right. She and Adora had been like that when Adora gave her the pin, and that was not even a full proposal, just a commitment to be dedicated to each other. Exclusively. Forever.

Okay, so it was basically a proposal, but that is what the tokens _are_. Swapping something of importance to show your dedication to your partner and vice versa. Adora took Catra’s mask before they even _kissed_. Besides, plenty of couples swap the tokens without ever bothering with rings and weddings. It is just the sentimentality of Glimmer and Bow’s engagement that is making her think about this, anyway.

She is not worried Adora does not want to. They just haven’t, yet. It has not bothered Catra before this moment, but with Glimmer and Bow engaged and Scorpia and Perfuma on their way, it has Catra _thinking_.

Adora is stretched out beneath her, happy, relaxed, _spent_. Catra is content and satisfied curled against her. She has known from the second they started having moments like this that they were all she wanted for the rest of her life. She has known since Adora called Octavia a _dumb face_ for her when they were eight that she wanted to be with Adora until the end of time.

Tonight is not the time to talk about _more_. Tonight, she contents herself with nuzzling into Adora and slanting her eyes open to catch the glint of the pin on their bedside table.

 _Tomorrow_ , she will think about it.

**Author's Note:**

> They're switches, your honour. Sure, Adora leans heavily top, and Catra leans slightly power bottom, but they both have range. I have not been able to stop thinking about sub She-ra since I was writing something completely unrelated to this and Catra casually mentioned "If these knots can hold She-ra, I'm sure they'll do fine." Maybe I'll finish that fic one day but it really has nothing to do with this lol  
> None of the other princesses are there because they are all hosting their own parties in their own kingdoms (except Scorpia, who is in attendance in Plumeria).  
> This fic contains teasers for like three other fics I have planned but haven't started writing yet oop.  
> Other fics this references: [Catra & Adora's safewords](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25810030), [Adora learning to let herself be the focus](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25957423) (also the war table incident), [the first time Catra has sex with She-ra](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25498135), [Adora's pin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485348).


End file.
